Hispanic children in Utah are twice as likely to have an untreated cavity compared to children who are not Hispanic.

A recent study by the Hispanic Dental Association on oral health discovered the information.

The data from the study can be explained by cultural differences. Dental hygiene is not valued as highly in other countries as it is in the United States. There are some people who wait until they are in excruciating pain until they decide to visit a dentist. At that point, it may be too late to do all of the procedures necessary to make the teeth as healthy as possible.

In order to prevent this trend from continuing, children need to learn about dental hygiene from a young age. That way, they won’t way until the last possible second to visit a dentist.

The Hispanic Dental Association attributed the lack of oral health to a few things, the first of which is a general lack of knowledge of the services available from dentists. Another reason is simply not understanding that having healthy teeth is important to one’s overall health. For some, not speaking enough or any English posed a problem.

Groups like the Hispanic Dental Association help to make sure that this issue becomes less of a problem soon.